File drawer assembly

ABSTRACT

A library or file drawer assembly formed of a plastic material and having an integral construction of the front, rear and sidewalls and a bottom wall containing a central track for a follower to be adjustably retained in position in the drawer. The drawer front has an undercut recess therein to receive a drawer front panel retained by a dovetail connection and which includes an integral handle for the drawer, an opening for reception of a rod to extend through the drawer, and a smaller undercut recess to receive a label holder.

United States Patent Ralph F. Anderson;

lnventors Frank J. Krieps, both of Rockford, Ill. Appl. No. 820,794 Filed May 1, 1969 Patented Sept. 14, 1971 Assignee Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Peoria, Ill.

FILE DRAWER ASSEMBLY 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 312/330, 206/44 H, 220/225 Int. Cl A47b 88/00 Field of Search 3 12/204,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,420 7/1958 Hansen et al. 312/204 X 3,022,595 2/1962 Ribbens et al. 40/325 3,300,887 1/1967 Cafiero 312/320 X 3,370,591 2/1968 Coe 220/225 3,495,731 2/1970 Risom et al. 40/325 X Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-- Geo. V.Larkin Attorney-Wilson & Geppert ABSTRACT: A library or file drawer assembly formed of a plastic material and having an integral construction of the front, rear and sidewalls and a bottom wall containing a central track for a follower to be adjustably retained in position in the drawer. The drawer front has an undercut recess therein to receive a drawer front panel retained by a dovetail connection and which includes an integral handle for the drawer, an opening for reception of a rod to extend through the drawer, and a smaller undercut recess to receive a label holder.

PATENTED SEP 1 4 an SHEEI 2 [IF 2 FILE DRAWER ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a file drawer assembly and more particularly to a plastic file drawer having a drawer front panel and a label holder that are removably secured in the drawer front wall.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a file drawer formed of a plastic material to provide a basic unitary drawer structure of a front wall, a rear wall, parallel sidewalls and a bottom wall. The drawer is formed by a molding operation and a central longitudinally extending track is molded into place in the drawer during the forming operation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a plastic file drawer having a front wall with an undercut recess in the front surface to receive a drawer front panel therein and provide a dovetail connection therebetween. The drawer front panel has a handle thereon and an opening aligned with an opening in the drawer front to receive a bushing adapted to receive an elongated rod extending through the drawer. The insertion of the bushing in the aligned openings acts to secure the panel in the drawer front recess.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a plastic file drawer having a drawer front panel dovetailed in a recess in the drawer front, the drawer front panel having an undercut recess at the upper edge to receive a label holder therein. The label holder formed of a transparent material provides a pocket between the drawer front panel and the label holder to receive an identifying label.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the plastic file drawer assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the file drawer assembly.

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the front of the file drawer assembly.

FIG. 4 is a partial top plan view of the front of the file drawer assembly.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view ofthe drawer front.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a vertical crosssectional view taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings wherein is shown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 discloses a file drawer assembly 10 having a file drawer 11 formed of a front wall 12, parallel sidewalls 13,13, a rear wall 12 and a bottom wall 14. The bottom wall 14 includes a central longitudinally extending slot 15 (see FIGS. 4,6 and 7) for a metal track 16; the track stopping short of both the front wall 12 and the rear wall 12 to provide an opening 17 to allow a suitable follower, such as the follower disclosed in the William H. Coe U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,591, to be inserted in the track 15.

The track, as shown in the above-mentioned Coe patent, has a bottom wall 18 with a plurality of laterally extending and longitudinally spaced embossments 19 adapted to cooperate with the follower, parallel sidewalls 20,20 having outwardly extending flanges 21,21; the sidewalls terminating at their upper edges in inwardly extending retaining flanges 22,22. The unitary file drawer is molded around the flanges 21,21 and sidewalls 20,20 when the drawer is formed to mold and retain the track 16 in place.

The front wall 12 of the file drawer 11 is formed with a pair of integral vertical stepped ribs 23.23 on the interior surface 24, and an opening extends through the front wall 12 centrally located between the sidewalls 13,13 and adjacent the bottom wall 14. Formed in the front surface 26 of the front wall 12 is a generally rectangular recess 27 formed with undercut edges 28,28 in a generally dovetail configuration; the recess-having a flat lower wall 29.

Received within the recess 27 is a drawer front panel 31 having dovetailed undercut edges 32,32 to be received within the undercut edges 28,28 and a flat lower surface 33. The

panel 31 has an opening 34 adapted to be aligned with the opening 25 in the front wall 12 and a pair of parallel embossments or ribs 35,35 integral with a transverse handle 36 extending across the face of the panel and spaced outwardly therefrom. The drawer is formed of a suitable plastic material, and the drawer front panel 31 may be of any suitable material, preferably of a suitable plastic material.

A flanged bushing 37 is received in the aligned openings 25,34 to retain the panel 31 in the recess 27 and provides a passage 38 for the enlarged end of a rod having a knurled knob such as disclosed in the above-mentioned Coe patent. The bushing can be internally threaded to cooperate with an externally threaded knob, or a locking slide as shown in the Coe patent can be attached to the interior surface 24 between the ribs 23,23 to cooperate with a channel on the enlarged end of the rod adjacent the knob. These means to retain the rod in the drawer assembly 10 are only illustrative as other suitable means could be utilized.

The drawer front panel 31 is also slotted to provide a recess 39 at the upper edge 41 extending between the vertical edges 32,32 and these edges are undercut at 42,42 for the reception and retention of a label holder 44, and a flat lower surface or shoulder 43. The label holder 44 formed of a transparent material preferably a suitable plastic, has offset edges 45,45 received in the undercut sides 42,42 of the recess 39, a lower edge 46 abutting the lower surface 43 and a raised central portion 47 extending to the upper edge 48 of the label holder 44 to form a pocket 49 between the panel 31 and the the central portion 47 open at the upper edge 48 to receive a suitable label 51 identifying the contents of the drawer.

The embossments 19 in the follower track 16 provide spaced stops for a follower as disclosed in the Coe U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,591.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A file drawer assembly comprising a molded plastic file drawer having a front wall, parallel sides walls, a rear wall and a bottom wall, said front wall having a generally rectangular recess in the exterior surface thereof opening at the upper edge thereof and having undercut sidewalls, a drawer front panel received in said recess and having opposed undercut edges to form a dovetail connection with said recess, a horizontally disposed handle formed on and integral with said panel, said panel and said drawer front having aligned openings extending therethrough, and means received in said aligned openings to retain said panel in said recess.

2. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said retaining means includes a generally cylindrical bushing received in and extending through said aligned openings.

3. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said drawer front panel has a generally rectangular recess in the exterior face thereof with undercut sides and opening at the top edge thereof, and a label holder received in said lastmentioned recess having offset edges received in said undercut sides and a central raised portion extending to the upper edge providing a pocket for a label or the like,

4. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 3, in which said central raised portion of said label holder is spaced from the rear wall of the last-mentioned recess to provide the pocket open at its upper edge to receive a label between said drawer front panel and said raised central portion.

5. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which said file drawer and said drawer front panel are molded of plastic material and said label holder is formed of a suitable transparent plastic material.

6. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim I, in which said bottom wall of the file drawer has a longitudinal slot therein, and a metal follower track is molded in place insaid longitudinal slot, the longitudinal edges of said track having outwardly extending anchoring flanges embedded in the plastic of the bottom wall, said longitudinal slot providing openings between the opposite ends of the track and the front and rear walls, respectively, for entrance of a follower into the track. 

1. A file drawer assembly comprising a molded plastic file drawer having a front wall, parallel sides walls, a rear wall and a bottom wall, said front wall having a generally rectangular recess in the exterior surface thereof opening at the upper edge thereof and having undercut sidewalls, a drawer front panel received in said recess and having opposed undercut edges to form a dovetail connection with said recess, a horizontally disposed handle formed on and integral with said panel, said panel and said drawer front having aligned openings extending therethrough, and means received in said aligned openings to retain said panel in said recess.
 2. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said retaining means includes a generally cylindrical bushing received in and extending through said aligned openings.
 3. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said drawer front panel has a generally rectangular recess in the exterior face thereof with undercut sides and opening at the top edge thereof, and a label holder received in said last-mentioned recess having offset edges received in said undercut sides and a central raised portion extending to the upper edge providing a pocket for a label or the like.
 4. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 3, in which said central raised portion of said label holder is spaced from the rear wall of the last-mentioned recess to provide the pocket open at its upper edge to receive a label between said drawer front panel and said raised central portion.
 5. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which said file drawer and said drawer front panel are molded of plastic material and said label holder is formed of a suitable transparent plastic material.
 6. A file drawer assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said bottom wall of the file drawer has a longitudinal slot therein, and a metal follower track is molded in place in said longitudinal slot, the longitudinal edges of said track having outwardly extending anchoring flanges embedded in the plastic of the bottom wall, said longitudinal slot providing openings between the opposite ends of the track and the front and rear walls, respectively, for entrance of a follower into the track. 